Lifestyle

Swiss Super Bike

March 21, 2007

The streamlined, enclosed Acabion GTBO is capable of going from 0 to 250 mph in under 20 seconds

Stand by to be shocked. The Acabion GTBO is a streamlined, enclosed motorcycle with the most astounding set of vital statistics we've ever seen. It has an extremely low frontal area and the aerodynamics of a bullet. It tips the scales at just a fraction the weight of a Formula One race car yet has much less rolling resistance and it is powered by a 700 bhp turbocharged motor giving it a power-to-weight ratio better than anything ever conceived for road usage and is claimed to be capable of 450 km/h.

That's some claim because the recently established land speed record for motorcycles is 565 km/h. The GTBO is also claimed to be capable of reaching 400 km/h from standstill in under 20 seconds (i.e. 0-400 km/h). AND it's road registerable, AND Swiss-based Acabion intends to build 26 GTBOs over the next four years.

The GTBO is a two-plus-two-wheel concept. It runs on four wheels at low speeds and two wheels at high speeds. The sidewheels can be ordered as lightweight racing-versions (pictured) or with heavier but more practical struts with a compact hydraulic drive so you can manoeuvre quite easily.

The aim is to offer a limited edition, very expensive super vehicle with Swiss precision engineering and craftsmanship and a performance factor that is truly remarkable the power-to weight of the GTBO is 0.51 kg per horsepower compare that to the Ultima GTR (1.38 kg/bhp), Koenigsegg CCXR (1.16), Pagani Zonda F (2.07), Bugatti Veyron (1.89), Tramontana (1.74), Bristol Fighter T (1.58) and the Gumpert Apollo (1.53).

For the records, the GTBO's figure is almost twice as good as the current crop of supersports 1000cc road bikes (1.0-1.1) and compares favourably to the 2007 F1 Ferrari (0.71) which Kimi Raikkonen used to smoke the field in the first Formula One Grand Prix of the season and Casey Stoner's Ducati (0.60) which streeted Valentino Rossi's Yamaha M1 (0.62) in the opening round of MotoGP in Qatar.

We'll be reporting in much more detail on the remarkable beastie in the next few days including an interview with the man behind the project. Sign up here to be notified of the full article and read on for more details and images.